ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.)—On Dec. 29, an 84-year-old Armenian woman was brutally murdered in Istanbul’s Koca Mustafa Pasha neighborhood, Turkish newspapers reported.
The woman, identified as Marissa Kuchuk (Küçük), lived alone. She was found dead by her daughter, Zadik Kuchuk, who was visiting her. She was stabbed seven times and her throat was slit. The perpetrator(s) carved a cross on her chest using a sharp object, according to some Turkish newspaper and TV reports.
An investigation is under way.
As soon as they “find” the culprit he/she will be a Turkish national hero.. Thats how their society works.
I am sure, no matter how much Turkey claims to be a safe country for minorities there is not evidence to the truth of that.
When a tourist arrives into Turkey and spends relatively short time span there, the only thing they experience is the tourist experience. Exiting Turkey, they will have no clue to the dynamics of Turkish society and their so called cultural approach towards ethnic groups and the Turks who honestly sympathize with them.
Why is the victim an 84 years old Armenian? The case can’t be by any means coincidental, since Hrndick getting shot, the Azeri Ax murderercase and pardon, and this are all scattered anti-Armenian events taking place in the last 8 years. These murders are not separate acts against Armenians, rather a part of an orchestrated plans by the Turkish and Azeri governments to hrass Armenians within and in the diaspora. Wether Turkish politicians have part in these murders or not, at least the Armenian genocide denialist centiments and the NKR issues motivated the acts by internal factions.
These plans also include political medeling and lobbyings which aim at weakening our voice, changing our friends in to foes, and economic pressures on Armenia.
You might of read about Erdogon’s appology about the 1930’s killings and how he harshly lashed out against genocide and diaspora. This kind of behavior by the Turkish leader can only be explained by his hatrate of Armenians who want justice to separate and isolate diaspora from the country.
The ultranationalist Turks do carry the Turkish government’s nationalistic attitude rather than being separate group from their government.
The conclusion is, Turkey can’t be democratic if they want to keep on denying, and these acts of violance against Armenians or any other ethnica group will not look good in the eyes of increasing democratic world.
And for the sake of respect: Killing an 84 years old woman is not an act of heroism, rather cowardness. Safarov acted the same cowardness in 2004.
Trying to send Armenians message of hate by killing a 84 years old elderly woman who is helpless by all means few months after pardoning Safarov by Aliev builds up on the record of non civilized cowardness. A pattern emerges and if repeats will give a every increasing transparency into Turkish/Azeri plot against Armenians, Armenian frineds internally, diapora, and even international supporters of Armenians.
The previous comments are absolutely correct.
Anyone who spends about 2 weeks in turkey, they will see the truth about turkey:
Turkey- the country that came into existence via massacring Armenians and Greeks (and other Christians) to rob their land.
No matter how much Turkey attempts to hide their filthy past and present, this article is a mere example of the shi+ that goes on for minorities on a daily basis. And yes, most turks will consider the murderer in this instance a national hero (just as they did with Ramil Seferov and just as they have streets named after their hero, Kemal Pasha. It’s truly shameful, but it’s also their way of life.)
“Anyone who spends about 2 weeks in turkey, they will see the truth about turkey”
How did you come up with that? Did you go to Turkey and had the truth, which was desperately trying to be hidden, unraveled to you on about day 14? And no, most Turks will not consider this woman’s murderer a hero because this story has gained only minimal media attention in Turkey.
RVDV,
About 7 years ago i took a pleasure cruise to Greece and then to Turkey. Before docking in Turkey they gathered everyone on a this large cruise ship and warned us of the perils of Turkey and not to trust people as there is a good chance to be robbed or worse.
No one did this for Greece, just Turkey..
john: whenever someone I know (a non-Turk) visits Turkey, I also warn them of the dangers they could face. I tell them to not carry wallets or purses, to not wear jewelry, and for the women to not be alone at night and to dress a bit more modestly. Will people try to rip you off when you make purchases- yes, will women be harassed by the men- I mean I’ve seen it, but very rarely. Honestly, I sometimes carry a switchblade on me when I travel alone in Istanbul- just makes me feel a little safer. These are called second world problems. I’m sure you saw extreme poverty not so far away from extreme wealth while you were in Turkey. Greece is a smaller country, land and population, and no matter how far their economy has tanked, they are still richer- and I suspect by a large margin- than Turkey.
However, of the many people I know who have been to Turkey, no one has ever told me they hated it or even that it didn’t meet their expectations. Most people you run into, while they may be trying to rip you off on a purchase, treat tourists with hospitality. That said, I wouldn’t recommend draping a Greek or Armenian or a Kurdistan flag around yourself.
now…. come on… you and I both know what jenny meant when she said people see truth about Turkey in about 2 weeks…. it wasn’t the dangers of city life (you can see that in about 16 minutes).
Actually, both Ed and Jenny are correct. I have been to Turkey several times on extended stays as my wife’s family still lives in Istanbul a have witnessed it myelf. My estimation of the country is that its very much like Germany might have been had WWII been fought to a stalemate, the Germans themselves overthrew Hitler but kept the Nazi party apparatus in power (just changed their name) and were never forced to acknowledge their past. I also get the impression that despite what Turks may say, the Kurds are the next victims.
RVDV,
Its not about minority poverty or about their arrest in large groups.
Turkey has many tourists who visit the country and they see the obvious.
The question is reading between the lines. What should minorities do in order to survive in the jungle called Turkey.
Turkey claims to be proud for its ethnic minorities who they claim are living in peace and harmoney with Turks. But, yet you have such events happening. Who knows if a Greek citizen wasn’t killed a month ago or how are kurds being treated. Besides that, the locals hrassing ethnic minorities of Armenian, Greek, Kurdish, or others who are from nations who lost for Turkey to come to existance. Researching the news will help, but I bet there will be more to what the news will say, since Turkish government does have secrets.
As for the people of Turkey: I am sure they have some of the hospitality personality of Armenians, pesians, and Greeks in their society. But, the natioanlistic beliefs are strong in specially the males. I seen many pictures of Turkey and 90%+ have turkish flag everywhere, Attaturk’s image everywhere, young boys with the flag on their shoulders everywhere. Its as if it is Palastine and you are looking at a bunch of kids ready to be recruited assuicide bombers.
So, how do ethnic groups survive?
By pure obeying the rules. Those who deviate a little are at risk of Turkish retaliations. The Post Ottoman Tukey is one that needs to do this to keep its country go on after all the crimes that has been commited against Christians and more recently muslims.
Erdogon is one Turk who not from the stand point of a leader, but as a citizen with strong influence on Turkish population advocates anti-diaspora messages to Turks and even the world. What kind of standard of secularism and democracy is that? This kind of behavior mimiks the dictatorial behavior of his Azeri counterpart, Ramil Safarov.
If I lived as a minority in Tukey, I have to keep quiet so that some Turks would approve my loyalty. Insulting Turkishness?? This may sound silly, but the message between the lines is quiet powerful and non-democratic, non-secular.
Hepinizin yorumlarını Türkçe’ye çevirip okumaya çalıştım . Bu zavallı kadını öldüren kişinin Türkiye’de kahraman olacağından bahsetmişsiniz . Ben herşeyden önce insanım ve sonra Türk’üm . Bütün samimiyetimle size söylemek isterim ki böyle bir kahramanlık falan yok . Tamamen saçmalık . Hatta ben lanet ediyorum bunu yapan kişiye . Ben Türk olduğum halde yönetim tarzını eleştiriyorum ve şu an ülkemiz ilerleyeceğine ve ilerliyor gibi gözükmesine rağmen geriye gidiyor malesef. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ile bu devranın dönmeyeceğini düşünmemize rağmen seçim zamanı nasıl oluyorsa kazanıyor bu şahıs . Fakir edebiyatı işe yarıyor diye düşünüyorum . Neyse biz Cumhuriyet gençliğiyiz ve Atatürk’ün izindeyiz her zaman . Laik ve demokratik bir ülke istiyoruz fakat başımızdaki insan malesef bizi bu ilkelerden uzaklaştırıyor . Hepimiz barış , huzur ve mutluluk ister iken bir kaç yobaz insanın ne şekilde düşündüğü lütfen sizin veya başkasının fikirlerini etkilemesin . Kimseye kendimizi sevdirmek zorunda değiliz fakat kimsenin bizleri yanlış tanımasını da istemediğim için bu yorumu yazma ihtiyacı hissettim . Aslında yazacak daha çok şey var . Umarım bu yazıyı kötü karşılamazsınız ve demek istediğimi anlarsınız . Şu sözlerle bitiriyorum . ” Yurtta Sulh , Cihanda Sulh ” .
“The perpetrator(s) carved a cross on her chest using a sharp object,”
Her son Zadig Kucuk told the Agos reporter that he saw a horizontal line wound on his mother’s body but this may have been leaking blood from the upper part of her body rather than a cross on her chest using a sharp object. It appears that he is in shock and make conflicting statements